Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis: champion colonizer of the infant gut

Underwood, Mark A.; German, J. Bruce; Lebrilla, Carlito B.; Mills, David A.

doi:10.1038/pr.2014.156

Cited by 439Infant Nutrition and HealthGut microbiota and healthProbiotics and Fermented Foods

Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis: champion colonizer of the infant gut

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Underwood, Mark A., German, J. Bruce, Lebrilla, Carlito B., Mills, David A.·2015·Pediatric Research

DOI 10.1038/pr.2014.156PMC PMC4350908

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Abstract

Oligosaccharides are abundant in human milk. Production of these highly diverse structures requires significant energy expenditure by the mother and yet these human milk oligosaccharides offer no direct nutritive value to her infant. A primary function of human milk oligosaccharides is to shape the infant's intestinal microbiota with life-long consequences. Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis (B. infantis) is unique among gut bacteria in its prodigious capacity to digest and consume any human milk oligosaccharide structure, the result of a large repertoire of bacterial genes encoding an array of glycosidases and oligosaccharide transporters not found in other bacterial species. In vitro, B. infantis grows better than other bacterial strains in the presence of human milk oligosaccharides, displays anti-inflammatory activity in premature intestinal cells, and decreases intestinal permeability. In premature infants, B. infantis given in combination with human milk increases B. infantis and decreases Enterobacteriaceae in the feces. Probiotics containing B. infantis decrease the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants. Colonization with B. infantis is also associated with increased vaccine responses. Probiotic organisms have historically been selected based on ease of production and stability. The advantages of B. infantis, selected through coevolution with human milk glycans, present an opportunity for focused manipulation of the infant intestinal microbiota.

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PS infants showed earlier and more robust colonisation of infant-associated Bifidobacterium species, particularly B. breve and B. longum subsp. infantis, compared to NPS infants.
“PS infants showed an earlier and more robust colonisation of infant-associated Bifidobacterium species, particularly B. breve and B. longum subsp. infantis, compared to NPS infants51–53.”
From Impact of early life antibiotic and probiotic treatment on gut microbiome and resistome of very-low-birth-weight preterm infants. (2025) · cites this paper as [51]
The 'Human Milk Oligosaccharides Shape the Infant Intestinal Microbiota' section identifies B. breve and B. infantis as species that colonize infants. The 'B. infantis in Premature Infants' section reports stronger colonization by B. infantis than by B. lactis under the conditions studied, but our copy does not report earlier or more robust colonization of both named species in PS infants compared with NPS infants. Page numbers were not supplied. (LLM, conf=0.83)
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Authors: Underwood, M. A., German, J. B., Lebrilla, C. B., & Mills, D. A.
Affiliations: University of California, Davis (US)
Corresponding author: Underwood, Mark A.
ORCID: Underwood, Mark A.
German, J. Bruce
Lebrilla, Carlito B.
Mills, David A.
Venue: Pediatric Research
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2014-10-10
Volume: 77
Issue: 1-2
Pages: 229-235
ISSN: 0031-3998 (ISSN-L)
1530-0447
DOI: 10.1038/pr.2014.156
PMC: PMC4350908
OpenAlex: W2086548013
Cited by: 439
References: 84
Citations by year: 2026: 39 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 61 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 8
FWCI: 2.18
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Pediatric Research (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders: University of California, Davis
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U24DK097154)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (R01AT007079, R21AT006180)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD065122, R01HD061923, R01HD059127)
Topics: Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Infant Nutrition and Health
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
Keywords: Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, human milk oligosaccharides, infant gut colonization, gut microbiota, probiotics, glycoside hydrolases, necrotizing enterocolitis, preterm infants, intestinal permeability, anti-inflammatory activity, vaccine response, Enterobacteriaceae
MeSH terms: Bifidobacterium, Biological Evolution, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Milk, Human, Oligosaccharides, Species Specificity, Gastrointestinal Tract, Microbiota

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Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis: champion colonizer of the infant gut

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